Orihuela is a city in Alicante in South
Eastern Spain and lies in the flat lowland of the Vega del Segura just North
East of Murcia City. It was actually a settlement before Roman times and became
the Roman town of Orcelis. It was captured by the Moors in 713 and liberated by
the Christians in 1264. It was sacked in disturbances in 1520 at the beginning
of the reign of Charles I and then again in 1706 during the War of the Spanish
Succession. It has often been flooded by the Segura river, and part of it was
destroyed by an earthquake in 1829.
The Moors created a great system of
irrigation and grew maize, which resulted in a proverb “Rain or no rain, corn
in Orihuela”. Today the area is farmed for oranges and lemons, wheat, oats,
almonds, peppers, potatoes, dates, and cotton. Orihuela is also famous for
growing carnations. The town also has a traditional textile and shoe industry,
and today has a population of around 80,000.
The older part of the city is on the North
side of the Segura and contains some historic buildings such as the Church of
Santas Justa y Rufina, dating from the 14th century, and the Church
of Santiago which is a cathedral from about the same age. There is also the
College of Santo Domingo dating from 1516.
Orihuela is an extremely popular town for
tourists to visit. It is very easy to get to with airports at Alicante and
Murcia, and there is a coastal toll motorway and main coastal road which
provide easy access to other areas. There are several golf courses nearby, and
also several Blue Flag beaches only a dozen miles away.
Orihuela would be an excellent choice for
an overseas investment property, since when you are not using it yourself you
can let it out all year round and make a steady and healthy return. If you look
for Orihuela villas for sale you will find that there is quite a large
choice from which to select, many of which have their own pools.
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